Ben strikes again as Stratford sweep aside St Ives

STRATFORD Town made it two wins in five days as they followed up their midweek win over Kings Langley with a hard-fought 3-0 success over a spirited St Ives side, writes Bryan Hale.

Ben Stephens and Jazz Luckie gave them a 2-0 half time lead, and after surviving some concerted St Ives pressure in the second half Edwin Ahenkorah put the result beyond doubt from the penalty spot ten minutes from time.

Both teams made a cautious start and neither goal had been seriously threatened until Town took the lead on 25 minutes with a goal more or less out of nothing.

Leading scorer Stephens surprised the St Ives keeper James Goff as he hit a precision low drive from 25 yards out into the bottom corner for his 11th goal of the season.

Four minutes later, Town went two up as Jazz Luckie latched onto a through ball down the inside left channel and coolly steadied himself before steering it past Goff.

The Saints tried to hit back, with the lively Dubi Ogbonna grazing the bar with a fiercely-struck effort in the 38th minute and then heading inches over from a corner in the final action of the first half.

Town had a scare as soon as the second half began with skipper James Fry slicing a clearance from James Hall over his own bar.

Almost immediately after, Justin Marsden could have put the game out of the Saints' reach as he went clear with only Goff to beat, but the keeper was able to deflect his shot behind.

But as the Saints pushed forward, Town were forced to defend in depth and in numbers.

Louis Connor had to go full length to his right to push away a decent effort from Phil Draycott and Hall had a close-range shot cleared off the line before Town made certain of the points with ten minutes to go.

Lee Thomas surged down the left to set up the opening for Will Grocott, whose shot was handled by a Saints defender and Edwin Ahenkorah lashed the spot-kick into the roof of the net.

Stratford Town: Louis Connor, Dan Summerfield (Charlie Evans 69), Lee Thomas, James Fry (c), Loyiso Recci, Liam Francis, Justin Marsden, James Hancocks, Jazz Luckie (Edwin Ahenkorah 75), Will Grocott, Ben Stephens (Eli Bako 75).